Aquaman, who long ago lost contact with his people, must watch as armies emerge from the sea to attack the surface world. The Justice League answers the call to defend the shores from the invading Atlantean horde. But whose side is Aquaman on? With his brother Orm at the head of the undersea army, will Aquaman stand with his Earth-bound superteam? Or his own people?

CollecAquaman, who long ago lost contact with his people, must watch as armies emerge from the sea to attack the surface world. The Justice League answers the call to defend the shores from the invading Atlantean horde. But whose side is Aquaman on? With his brother Orm at the head of the undersea army, will Aquaman stand with his Earth-bound superteam? Or his own people?

I mainly decided to re-read Johns' entire run because I made my teenage son to read them. Yeah. That's right. I forced my kid to read Aquaman comics, because he (like some of you) was making fun of me for my obsession with this character.So. Since I'm not only his mother, but also an asshole, I picked up all four volumes of this sucker, and plopped them down in front of him.Me: Read 'em.Him: Are you serious?Me: *raises eyebrow*Him: Alright! Alright! Jesus!

And do you wanna know what hRe-read 2016

I mainly decided to re-read Johns' entire run because I made my teenage son to read them. Yeah. That's right. I forced my kid to read Aquaman comics, because he (like some of you) was making fun of me for my obsession with this character.So. Since I'm not only his mother, but also an asshole, I picked up all four volumes of this sucker, and plopped them down in front of him.Me: Read 'em.Him: Are you serious?Me: *raises eyebrow*Him: Alright! Alright! Jesus!

And do you wanna know what he thought?Well, I'm going to tell you anyway...He LOVED them!And as an added bonus, he ended up having to admit that Mom was right.

Original review: 2014Why in the world aren't more people reading this title?!Throne of Atlantis is a really strong volume for the Aquaman title. Ok, ok...Maybe the story fell off a little during Aquaman, Vol. 2: The Others.I still thought it was pretty good, dammit!But volume 3 is exceptional!

In this one we meet Arthur's brother, Orm, and we get a bit of backstory on their relationship.His character is a bit morally ambiguous, and by the end you're left wondering what side of the Good Guy/Bad Guy fence he's going to end up falling on.We also meet Arthur's mentor, who plays a surprising role in the drama that's about to unfold.

The plot goes something like this:A naval ship's missile goes rogue (for no apparent reason), and detonates underwater. At first, it's not terribly worrying, because there's supposedly nothing charted around the area where the missile was headed.Unfortunately, it hit Atlantis.Orm (now the Atlantean king) attacks the surface world in retaliation, and Arthur is forced to choose sides.Lots of great battle scenes in this one, folks!

Atlantis' army and technology is more than expected, which necessitates putting out the call to an assload of superhumans for support. So we kind of have the beginnings of the Justice League opening up the doors to new members. Fun Fact:For once, Hawkman makes an appearance without killing a story!

Of course, someone must have been responsible for the initial attack on Atlantis, so there's a nice little Whodunnit playing out in the background of the battles.Oh, and those monsters from the Trench play a role in the story, too. Nice to know reading volume 2 wasn't a waste.

Mera is still such a kick-ass character, and while she's being portrayed in a great light, I'd still love to see her get more page time. Maybe her own title?Hint, hint...

Well, that wasn’t the most organic or convincing story in the world, was it? But I guess that’s beside the point, as long as it results in a war that looks like a cross between the movies Pearl Harbour, 2012 and Piranha. Seriously, where did all the fun and charm from Volume 1 go?

Decided to do a re-read after watching Aquaman. Atlantis attacks the surface after some missiles inadvertently hit Atlantis. There are so many great character moments interspersed between epic battles. I loved Superman and Wonder Woman's first date. It was delightful. Amanda Waller trying to recruit Black Manta to the Suicide Squad. How great was that? Cyborg's sacrifice. Theirs so much to love. Johns masterfully reconstructed Orm's character. He's actually a good king protecting his kingdom. IDecided to do a re-read after watching Aquaman. Atlantis attacks the surface after some missiles inadvertently hit Atlantis. There are so many great character moments interspersed between epic battles. I loved Superman and Wonder Woman's first date. It was delightful. Amanda Waller trying to recruit Black Manta to the Suicide Squad. How great was that? Cyborg's sacrifice. Theirs so much to love. Johns masterfully reconstructed Orm's character. He's actually a good king protecting his kingdom. I really liked how Orm and Arthur really cared for one another and hated being on opposing sides. Ivan Reis's and Paul Pelletier's art is sublime. Even though their styles are different, they meshed really well together....more

Damn, Aquaman is a total badass! What the hell alternate reality am I living in?

I have to admit I've never been an Aquaman fan. The whole talking to fish thing wasn't very impressive, but Geoff Johns has worked miracles with this character. The story here was gripping, action-packed, and emotional; the art, meanwhile, was truly breathtaking, doing justice to every one of the great DC characters as well as the undersea world itself.

For whatever it is worth, I'm a huge fan of this Aquaman, as mostDamn, Aquaman is a total badass! What the hell alternate reality am I living in?

I have to admit I've never been an Aquaman fan. The whole talking to fish thing wasn't very impressive, but Geoff Johns has worked miracles with this character. The story here was gripping, action-packed, and emotional; the art, meanwhile, was truly breathtaking, doing justice to every one of the great DC characters as well as the undersea world itself.

For whatever it is worth, I'm a huge fan of this Aquaman, as most superhero fans should be.

I had already read about half of this volume through Geoff Johns' Justice League series but I preferred reading it in the context of Aquaman because it makes more sense and it's easier to be empathetic towards Arthur.

Basically the issues that Atlantis has underwater (and trust me, there are a ton) have exploded onto the surface via subtle manipulations of a character I'm not going to spoil. The complexities of Arthur's character have again shown up here. He feeAnother good volume in this series!

I had already read about half of this volume through Geoff Johns' Justice League series but I preferred reading it in the context of Aquaman because it makes more sense and it's easier to be empathetic towards Arthur.

Basically the issues that Atlantis has underwater (and trust me, there are a ton) have exploded onto the surface via subtle manipulations of a character I'm not going to spoil. The complexities of Arthur's character have again shown up here. He feels he must defend people living on land and the Justice League when they do not trust and respect him (the Justice League trusts and respects him, citizens don't), but he also feels he must stay true to his Atlantean heritage and his half-brother.

Just an all-around enjoyable comic with action, drama, romance, and suspense....more

I get it now - Geoff Johns is the comic book Michael Bay! Do you like massive, loud action scenes strung together with a nonsensical “story”? Look no further than Throne of Atlantis, this summer’s blockbuster (s)hit!

Ok, this whole review is going to look into why Throne of Atlantis is one big DUUUUUH so it’s going to be packed with spoilers - if you haven’t read this yet and you’re just looking for a yay or nay review, my answer is: if you’ve enjoyed New 52 Aquaman so far, you’ll like this; ifI get it now - Geoff Johns is the comic book Michael Bay! Do you like massive, loud action scenes strung together with a nonsensical “story”? Look no further than Throne of Atlantis, this summer’s blockbuster (s)hit!

Ok, this whole review is going to look into why Throne of Atlantis is one big DUUUUUH so it’s going to be packed with spoilers - if you haven’t read this yet and you’re just looking for a yay or nay review, my answer is: if you’ve enjoyed New 52 Aquaman so far, you’ll like this; if not, it won’t change your mind. It’s Geoff Johns being Geoff Johns and that’s something you either like or dislike at this point.

Right, from now on here be spoilers.

Missiles from a military cruiser are fired at Atlantis precipitating an attack from the current King of Atlantis, Orm, who is Arthur’s half-brother. In retaliation, the Atlantean army launches a massive tidal wave against the East Coast of America, putting Gotham and Metropolis under water, and follows it up with a land invasion. Will the Justice League be up for the challenge? Sigh… here we go again, Papa Johns.

If you’ve read your share of superhero comics, you’ll know that most superhero fights, big or small, could be avoided with a simple conversation between the two combatants and, usually, this dialogue would then make fighting redundant as the problem is usually a trite misunderstanding. That’s what Throne is like, right from the get go. Orm should’ve spoken to the Justice League about the missile attack who could’ve spoken to the US Military and Orm would’ve discovered that the attack was unintentional and that starting a war would be a waste of their resources, not to mention lives. Furthermore, they could combine forces to find the real culprit behind the malicious attack a lot faster. But no, that would mean no big splash pages (pun not intended but very appropriate!) and no “story”, flimsy as it is. So to war they go, manipulated easier than puppets!

I’m going to skip ahead to the finale now because the middle is just one long fight scene between the Justice League and the Atlanteans in the unending rain. Orm proves he’s a tough dude (because I guess that was important?), the Atlanteans as well, while Hawkman even shows up at one point and DOESN’T wreck the book which is a tiny miracle (though his inclusion is pointless - what’s a winged dimwit with a mace going to do against a tidal wave?).

There’s some fine art from Ivan Reis (who draws the Justice League issues) and Paul Pelletier (who draws the Aquaman issues - yeah, both titles get splotched together in this book because DC apparently stands for Dumb Crossovers), even though the splash pages are busier than Oxford Street on Christmas week. But the art does look stream-lined and has this modern comics cinematic look to it with wide panels and splash pages, all of which complements the story well.

So: the incredibly stupid finale.

It’s revealed that Arthur’s exiled advisor, Vulko, is behind all this madness. Who’s Vulko? He’s an older gentleman who’s rocking a ponytail possibly to make up for the lack of hair on top, has a bit of a belly, and spends his free time on the Scandinavian shore untangling fishing lines. He’s also nursing a grudge against Atlantis for banishing him and wants to see Arthur as the King of Atlantis because… well, HE thinks that’s who should be on the throne, even though no-one else, including Arthur, thinks this way.

So that must mean Atlantis is a disaster right - some kind of dictatorial nightmare for Vulko to go to such drastic lengths to change the leadership? Actually, Atlantis is a very decent place under Orm’s rule. It appears prosperous and he’s actually quite a progressive leader, taking a strong stance against superstitious nonsense and punishing those who would threaten children. That’s how Orm is introduced by the way, as a leader who cares about the safety and well-being of his people and makes a good call by standing up to thug violence. And he’s the bad guy!?

Vulko somehow - it’s never actually explained how he does this - manages to get a US Navy Cruiser to fire its payload at Atlantis because he thinks, rightly as it turns out, that Atlantis will throw its full force in retaliation to the surface world and cause Arthur to choose to take the throne of Atlantis for himself. Ok… few problems with this.

How did Vulko know Atlantis would succeed in a war against the surface world, who count amongst their number Superman, the most powerful being on the planet, along with Wonder Woman, J’onn J’onzz, and numerous others? It would be more likely that Atlantis would lose this war and the city would be destroyed, so Arthur would never have been king at all as the throne and the people would no longer exist.

Also, whichever side lost, how does he know Aquaman’s response to finding out this was all to manipulate him into taking the throne, would be to take the throne? It’d make more sense that he would refuse any claim to the throne forever based off of the bloodshed this war has caused. And, once again, Atlantis is ruled by a good king, Orm, who is reacting to an act of war (a bit too reactively but then Johns isn’t writing him with much intelligence) - Aquaman could well say, Orm is the king, he is my brother, I’m in the Justice League, let’s all just learn to get along, ok? And next time, let’s TALK FIRST before doing anything rash!

Maybe you’re thinking, well, clearly Vulko’s crazy, that’s why his plan doesn’t make a lick of sense - you can’t rationally explain a madman’s ideas. And you’d be right, except that Aquaman validates Vulko’s insane plan by accepting the throne of Atlantis and returning to be the king!! His reaction when he finds out that Vulko was behind everything is basically: “You did all of this just to get me back on the throne - do you have any idea HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED?!?! I accept”. Wait - what?! So I guess Vulko was right to do what he did? His plan did work. (To be fair, the scene where Aquaman yells “I AM YOUR KING!!!” is really funny so it was kinda worth it)

Meanwhile, Orm, whom I felt more sympathetic towards after re-reading parts of the book, gets locked up on land while Vulko goes to an Atlantean jail - why? Vulko’s by far the worse of the two - he should be punished the most by staying on land. Already Arthur’s first decision as new king is questionable - it’d be amazing if he turned out to be a worse ruler than Orm!

Everything about the plot of this book makes no sense when you stop and think about it for a moment. It’s just a lazy excuse to have a giant fight between the Justice League and the Atlantean army because big, dumb, loud action scenes sell comics. This is why Johns is the comic book Michael Bay - they both choose mindless action over everything else.

Like a Transformers movie, you can appreciate the energy and effort that’s gone into making the book look flashy and attractive but look beneath the surface and it’s a staggeringly stupid and failed attempt at good storytelling.

(All that, and I didn’t even mention how bizarre it was that Orm managed to defeat Superman, Wonder Woman AND Batman in one go!! And there’s a Justice League/Throne of Atlantis book? The whole story is right here in this volume! What, they throw in a couple extra Justice League issues and then duplicate this volume for a whole “new” volume? What a ripoff! Cynical, cynical DC.) ...more

For most of the time I was reading this book, I was greatly enjoying it. It's a big event, but there's a personal element to it, too: Atlantis invades the surface world, forcing Aquaman to choose sides. And there's plenty of cool stuff going on. It helps that Mera remains ridiculously awesome, and that Aquaman's enemy Black Manta has a scene that makes him so much cooler and more intimidating than I ever would have expected him to be. And there's a really fun scene with Clark teaching Diana howFor most of the time I was reading this book, I was greatly enjoying it. It's a big event, but there's a personal element to it, too: Atlantis invades the surface world, forcing Aquaman to choose sides. And there's plenty of cool stuff going on. It helps that Mera remains ridiculously awesome, and that Aquaman's enemy Black Manta has a scene that makes him so much cooler and more intimidating than I ever would have expected him to be. And there's a really fun scene with Clark teaching Diana how glasses can be a good disguise. So far, so good.

And then I get to end of the book and something hits me. This whole war with Atlantis starts when renegade naval missiles hit Atlantis. Surely, this had some sort of effect in Atlantis. Surely, there was damage, injuries, even fatalities. Surely. But I can only speculate, because not one single person on the surface side seems to care in the least that Atlantis was attacked, not even Aquaman. At no point does anyone even acknowledge that the events that triggered Atlantis to attack are actually, legitimately terrible, and actually, legitimately something that an actual, totally sane country would go to war over. At no point is there any expression of regret at their losses, or an understanding that maybe the Atlanteans have a right to be upset. Only the lives of humans matter in this book, which is a genuinely uncomfortable prospect when two members of the team aren't human.

Which makes the supposedly triumphant ending that much more sour to me. The current king of Atlantis, Arthur's half-brother Orm, is repeatedly shown to be, in general, a good man, a good king, and has nothing but the best interest of his people at heart. So when Arthur defeats him and takes his throne (view spoiler)[which is, incidentally, exactly what the person who actually aimed the missiles at Atlantis wanted, so yay for letting the villain win! (hide spoiler)] and has Orm thrown into a human prison, I can't see it as a victory at all. There's no real attempt to explain why what Orm did was so wrong. In the real world, one country attacking another by firing missiles into what seems to be a civilian area is an act of war, and responding in kind is neither shocking nor abhorrent. Yes, it's obvious to the reader from very early on that the U.S. government didn't intentionally fire those missiles at Atlantis, but how is Atlantis in general or Orm in particular supposed to know or trust that?

It kind of looks like I'm in the minority in even thinking along these lines. Those thoughts really did bring my enjoyment of the book as a whole crashing down. No, it isn't an inherently bad premise, but the presentation is very one-sided. Unless we're meant to think that the Justice League as a whole, including the current king of Atlantis, really doesn't care about Atlanteans....more

OK, so this is unprecedented...Geoff Johns has been involved in a storyline I've enjoyed for 3 volumes in a row...oh, and it's AQUAMAN.

The only drawback is that this volume includes some Justice League issues that I've already read and apparently didn't enjoy. So Ya, somehow that Origin issue of Aquaman was much more enjoyable, Arthur accepts who he is, meets Vulko (who's OBVIOUSLY drawn in a way that gives away plenty.....) and returns to Atlantis.

The JL stuff was still kinda dumb, the reservesOK, so this is unprecedented...Geoff Johns has been involved in a storyline I've enjoyed for 3 volumes in a row...oh, and it's AQUAMAN.

The only drawback is that this volume includes some Justice League issues that I've already read and apparently didn't enjoy. So Ya, somehow that Origin issue of Aquaman was much more enjoyable, Arthur accepts who he is, meets Vulko (who's OBVIOUSLY drawn in a way that gives away plenty.....) and returns to Atlantis.

The JL stuff was still kinda dumb, the reserves being called in was cool, but seriously, ELEMENT WOMAN??? VIXEN??? Hawkman and Firestorm, sure, Black Canary and Lightning, OK, even Zatana, but those 2???

Issue #14 of Aquaman is missing from Vol. 3 of Justice League, and it's actually a pretty crucial piece of the puzzle, and probably the other reason I like this version of the story than the JL version. Here Arthur and Orm have an actual conversation like adults, and Orm comes across as perfectly reasonable and actually having some love/respect for his half-brother. When you put it into the context of the whole story of Atlantis attacking Earth, it adds more to the story and the shades of grey that everyone lives in.

Here's a strength; everyone IS a shade of Grey. There's no absolutes. As much as Arthur shouldn't be attacking JL members, the JL members seem pretty dense about things (other than Batman, who's just his usual self, but actually gives Arthur more leeway than I've seen him give anyone).

#14 also has a great section with Black Manta in Belle Reve Prison and his interactions with Amanda Waller. His actions here do more to build him up as a pretty badass mofo. When he tells Waller what he does (view spoiler)[ he's not dying for Waller and her Suicide Squad...he'll only die for Aquaman (hide spoiler)] it only makes him a much stronger character in my mind.

When you add the events of 14 to the whole story, it makes it flow much better, gives a depth of understanding to characters, and adds borderline levels of Greek Tragedy to the relationship between Orm and Arthur. The JL Vol. 3 collection omits this issue, so we lose out on that whole part, which I actually feel is crucial to the feel/emotion/shades of grey.

Oh and to echo Anne's thoughts...Mera IS a badass. She for sure deserves her own miniseries or at least a spot on Birds of Prey (they could call it Fighting Fish and crosspromote with Namor!).

So even though the difference between Vol. 3 of Aquaman and Vol. 3 of JL is but 2-3 issues change, it makes a WORLD of difference...I'd up my review to 3.5 stars.

Get this review and more at:["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

I already reviewed 2/3rds of this book with JLA. So I won't go in to great detail on it. I liked the setup issues for the big Throne of Atlantis fight. Just keep in mind shit's about to go DOWN but if you read it in Justice League you might be disappointed.

What I liked: The set up, the war, the brotherly fight. This is everything Aquaman is about. It's truly a amazing arc and one of the best for our young King. The ending is bitter sweet and really sets up the finish for Johns run.

What I didn'I already reviewed 2/3rds of this book with JLA. So I won't go in to great detail on it. I liked the setup issues for the big Throne of Atlantis fight. Just keep in mind shit's about to go DOWN but if you read it in Justice League you might be disappointed.

What I liked: The set up, the war, the brotherly fight. This is everything Aquaman is about. It's truly a amazing arc and one of the best for our young King. The ending is bitter sweet and really sets up the finish for Johns run.

What I didn't like: The fact I read it haha. That and the Justice League were acting kind of dumb here.

Read my Justice League review to get all my hyped moments for this fight. However, don't get it twisted, this is one of the best Aquaman arcs I've ever read! ...more

I've been rereading my Aquaman comics after watching the movie. James Wan's bigscreen adaptation of the DC superhero got many story elements like plots, characters and even some setpieces from this run.

I liked it before, and I still like it now. Throne of Atlantis is the climactic battle Geoff Johns has been building up since the start of his New52 Aquaman run. It offers some mindless popcorn action and entertainment which is well worth your time.

2013 review:

Geoff Johns has again pro2018 reread:

I've been rereading my Aquaman comics after watching the movie. James Wan's bigscreen adaptation of the DC superhero got many story elements like plots, characters and even some setpieces from this run.

I liked it before, and I still like it now. Throne of Atlantis is the climactic battle Geoff Johns has been building up since the start of his New52 Aquaman run. It offers some mindless popcorn action and entertainment which is well worth your time.

2013 review:

Geoff Johns has again proven that he can write grand battle scenes. Throne of Atlantis is an epic war between Atlanteans, superheroes, and the trench monsters. So many characters in play and things happening means that this volume is teeming with full-page panels and spreads. Oh how I love to look at every page. I'm happy to see lower-tier superheroes in action. The third volume ends with a change in Aquaman's status quo. Throne of Atlantis is worth every money you have spent buying it....more

Geoff Johns is making me into an Aquaman fan, and that is a statement I can safely say I never expected to write.

In volume three, Johns brings in a number of different threads that have been building in the previous volumes and sets in motion a war between Atlantis and the “surface dwellers.” The Dead King’s scepter, capable of sinking entire islands into the ocean, has fallen into the hands of some mysterious Atlantean benefactor and when missiles are suddenly retargeted to fall on Atlantis, itGeoff Johns is making me into an Aquaman fan, and that is a statement I can safely say I never expected to write.

In volume three, Johns brings in a number of different threads that have been building in the previous volumes and sets in motion a war between Atlantis and the “surface dwellers.” The Dead King’s scepter, capable of sinking entire islands into the ocean, has fallen into the hands of some mysterious Atlantean benefactor and when missiles are suddenly retargeted to fall on Atlantis, it becomes clear that this person has war in mind. Arthur, along with the rest of the Justice League, must somehow get the Atlanteans not to destroy entire cities in their quest for vengeance and find out who is behind it all.

One of the greatest strengths of this volume is the focus it puts on relationships between Arthur and the other characters. I was particularly impressed by the ties built between him and his brother Orm, the current king of Atlantis. The idea that Orm would have been raised, in common with the other Atlanteans, to both hate and fear the surface dwellers who have repeatedly murdered them and poisoned their home makes perfect sense. It made it easy to understand why Orm would turn to war when the missiles fell on Atlantis. The dichotomy between Orm, the full Atlantean, and Arthur, who has a foot in both worlds, was really well done. And I loved the relationship between Aquaman and Batman. Batman is one of the few who trusts Aquaman and understands that he has to deal with his brother without outside interference. Throughout, the relationships between characters were very well written and compelling. It made the volume an extremely fast read for me.

What makes it a bit of a tough read is the end. (view spoiler)[Orm is consistently shown to be a good king who takes care of his people and is only trying to protect them from what he sees as further proof of the betrayal of the surface dwellers. To have things end up with him trapped on the surface which disturbs and is painful to him, just for protecting his people, feels wrong. I hope it's something that gets dealt with later on in the story because I'd like to think that someone cares about all the Atlanteans who got murdered but the book ends with things exactly the way Vulko wanted them. I guess time will tell if that gets rectified. Either way, it makes for a powerful end to the volume. (hide spoiler)]

This Aquaman series is doing exactly what the Wonder Woman one never did for me. It’s epic, compelling and really making me love a superhero I never gave a shit about before. Definitely one of the must-read New 52 series!["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

Any Aquaman fan knows just how wrong the "Aquaman sucks" jokes have become, but fortunately writer Geoff Johns makes sure that all the naysayers are missing out on another must-have collection. Throne Of Atlantis is an epic story with incredibly detailed artwork, great characterisation and huge action that rivals any blockbuster movie. Oh, and it crosses over with the Justice League series in style!

After an introductory look at Aquaman's early days, the book introduces key characters and delvesAny Aquaman fan knows just how wrong the "Aquaman sucks" jokes have become, but fortunately writer Geoff Johns makes sure that all the naysayers are missing out on another must-have collection. Throne Of Atlantis is an epic story with incredibly detailed artwork, great characterisation and huge action that rivals any blockbuster movie. Oh, and it crosses over with the Justice League series in style!

After an introductory look at Aquaman's early days, the book introduces key characters and delves into the often-teased history of Atlantis. Ruler of the sunken city and brother to the sea-faring superhero, Orm is a captivating and complex character. His perspective and reasoning are truly unique and his powers make him a real threat to the "surface world", unlike some enemies the League have faced in the past. When Atlantis attacks it's truly a sight to behold, expertly rendered in part by Ivan Reis who's work is highly detailed. Fellow readers will be admiring every detail in the stunning splash pages. New Aquaman artist Paul Pelletier has a similar, if not quite as impressive style and his pencils make for a cohesive look alongside the work of the other artists involved.

Unfortunately, there's little to divulge about the plot without heading into spoiler territory. I'll just say that while the Justice League all get their moment in the spotlight, they are still outdone by Aquaman and his supporting characters. (view spoiler)[That said, it is admittedly Superman and Wonder Woman who get the first "wow!" moment of the book. When Atlantis floods Metropolis, the duo stop a freight carrier in a tidal wave from crushing the city below. It's an impressive image and one that sets the standard for the level of action to come. (hide spoiler)]

Readers who've been following Aquaman's adventures since the start of the New 52 will get more out of this tale, but hopefully the story will convert Justice League fans and maybe a few critics, too! Throne Of Atlantis is not to be missed....more

Seriously, is Johns getting someone to script his outlines here? It's almost as if the dialogue doesn't suck, and the pacing is quick and sharp, avoiding a lot of the depressingly momentum-arresting monologuing that infects nearly everything he touches.

Aquaman's brother is either the most centred, charming rogue or he's a total snake in the grass narcissistic asslicker, and he's got my attention either way. Either way, the Orm-and-Artie prelude was much better than the Diana-and-orange-tabbie-wSeriously, is Johns getting someone to script his outlines here? It's almost as if the dialogue doesn't suck, and the pacing is quick and sharp, avoiding a lot of the depressingly momentum-arresting monologuing that infects nearly everything he touches.

Aquaman's brother is either the most centred, charming rogue or he's a total snake in the grass narcissistic asslicker, and he's got my attention either way. Either way, the Orm-and-Artie prelude was much better than the Diana-and-orange-tabbie-without-nipples prelude in the JL3 book.

I'm intrigued by the downright slimy shit that Amanda Waller is tugging out in the shadows. Let's hope she becomes as batshit as Maxwell Lord or Billy Butcher.

Then we reach the full-on crossover part of this book, where DC decided to print the JL and Aquaman issues in both books. (There should really be a frequent buyers' discount applied to trades like these.)

The initial attack from Atlantis is suitably scary and uncontrollable, if a little reminiscent of Ultimate Magneto's attack on NYC (and probably a hundred other comic book seaboard threats over the years).

But then Aquaman's reactions are laughable. Yes he's noble enough to want to quell a war, and smart enough to approach his bother alone - but as soon as the JL decides that maybe there's a threat of annihilation, Aquaman starts throwing punches?

Cyborg's reactions are actually pretty cool though. I actually had a "that's cool" moment when (view spoiler)[he called out for Justice League reinforcements from a sweeping array of superheroes. (hide spoiler)] I haven't felt that kind of chill in all the Geoff Johns books I've ever read, and I think it works because he actually earned it - the story progresses naturally to a point where this actually makes rational sense.

Here's something that doesn't make sense tho: how does a Wonder Woman's sword stay on her leg? every time I see it not in her hand, it's stuck to the side of her thigh somehow - without scabbard or even a strap it's held under. Are we to believe it's magic, or that her thigh strap is a super-duty magnet?

And Vixen? In the 21st century, we're going to reintroduce a character by the name of Vixen? With smell powers?

The climax and wrap-up are serious - suitably so for the subject, and exciting in a small way that this promises to expand the threats this new DC world has to offer. I'm still stupidly skeptical that Johns will blow the potential he's built here, because this seems bigger and more intricate than I've ever seen him pull off. But I'll stick around to see whether (a) this gets better or (b) I can cackle with schadenfreude at Johns' next boner. Either way I get to enjoy my comics eh?...more

What do you know, Aquaman suddenly has a brother. Because, I mean, he hasn't been mentioned once before and and he just appears in this volume and it's like: Oh, hi, bro, you forgot your lunch this morning. I feel like Aquaman is a different comic in every volume. The first one was very laid back, there wasn't much of a threat anywhere. Even Mera had time to trash a store (don't ask me why) so it's not like they had any pressing matters. The second volume introduced us to a bunch of new people aWhat do you know, Aquaman suddenly has a brother. Because, I mean, he hasn't been mentioned once before and and he just appears in this volume and it's like: Oh, hi, bro, you forgot your lunch this morning. I feel like Aquaman is a different comic in every volume. The first one was very laid back, there wasn't much of a threat anywhere. Even Mera had time to trash a store (don't ask me why) so it's not like they had any pressing matters. The second volume introduced us to a bunch of new people and a story about revenge and bla bla bla. In this one we get another one of these crossover between titles who are a mess to figure out how to read in order. Anyway, the plot: A submarine shots some missiles by mistake in the middle of the Ocean. No problem there, right? Wrong! The hit Atlantis so Orm, Aquaman's brother and king decides to get revenge on the Earth-dwellers (or whatever he calls us) by sinking a bunch of cities. That gets the attention of every famous superhero DC has and some other less important ones later et voilà, we have a crossover. Aquaman must decide which world to side with and some other important stuff that it's real intense.

Thoughts from someone who drowned in this book:-Are you kidding me, people? I'm dead because some moron decided he wanted Aquaman (view spoiler)[to be king of Atlantis (hide spoiler)] and couldn't think of anything better to do it than launching a bunch of missiles. And you morons from Atlantis could have asked before deciding to sink everything. I would kick you in your balls if I wasn't rotting inside my car in the bottom of the ocean/city/whatever mess you created!

So, now (view spoiler)[Aquaman is taking over as king of Atlantis while his brother is imprisoned on Earth. Man, that is mean, he is a sea creature! I can't wait to see how intense Aquaman gets once he starts reigning. Sigh... (hide spoiler)]...more

Fantastic. So far Geoff Johns run on Aquaman is perfect. Tho this volume was not so AMAZING as vol 1 and 2. This time we met the justice league! I liked the dynamic between the members!Also a lot of things in the past 2 volumes colide in this third volume!

"Speechless, or just a little wet I guess" ... Well, that about sum it up, right?? :S

My god, i was really enjoying Aquaman, till this monstrosity popped up... There was little left to the imagination, unfortunately.. It was all over in a flash - wham bam thank you ma'am... This cross-over didn't need to be a cross-over in my humble opinion... Why couldn't they just deliver a proper Aquaman solo volume.. It would have been better without The JL butting in.

Hope the next chapter will be picking up"Speechless, or just a little wet I guess" ... Well, that about sum it up, right?? :S

My god, i was really enjoying Aquaman, till this monstrosity popped up... There was little left to the imagination, unfortunately.. It was all over in a flash - wham bam thank you ma'am... This cross-over didn't need to be a cross-over in my humble opinion... Why couldn't they just deliver a proper Aquaman solo volume.. It would have been better without The JL butting in.

Hope the next chapter will be picking up where we left of in the previous volumes..

I am a little bummed about volume 3 of the Aquaman New 52. I started to read it and only the first few pages were new to me. The entire issue is also in Justice League Volume 3... which I suppose makes sense since it has the same title. I still don't get though why Aquaman didn't get a volume 3 all to himself. His comics have been my favorite so far in the new 52. Honestly though I don't understand why the same story ended up in two comics. I would be pretty ticked if I had bought this. I'll stiI am a little bummed about volume 3 of the Aquaman New 52. I started to read it and only the first few pages were new to me. The entire issue is also in Justice League Volume 3... which I suppose makes sense since it has the same title. I still don't get though why Aquaman didn't get a volume 3 all to himself. His comics have been my favorite so far in the new 52. Honestly though I don't understand why the same story ended up in two comics. I would be pretty ticked if I had bought this. I'll still give it a 5 out of 5 for the story. ...more

Yes, I rated this lower than the previous volumes, but don't believe that this isn't another great addition in Geoff Johns's Aquaman run.

This time things get bigger. Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis collects Aquaman #0, 14-16 and Justice League #15-17. This could be ''scary'' for some people, let's be honest, trades that contain issues from other titles, specially team titles, don't usually work out that great. But given the fact that Geoff Johns writes both titles, the story flows perfect4.25 stars.

Yes, I rated this lower than the previous volumes, but don't believe that this isn't another great addition in Geoff Johns's Aquaman run.

This time things get bigger. Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis collects Aquaman #0, 14-16 and Justice League #15-17. This could be ''scary'' for some people, let's be honest, trades that contain issues from other titles, specially team titles, don't usually work out that great. But given the fact that Geoff Johns writes both titles, the story flows perfectly between issues. Even though the decisive, action packed and engaging moments happen in the JLA issues, we get the full story that we wanted and expected. The Justice League issues don't take anything off from Aquaman's title.

Like I said before, the story gets bigger and the stakes are ones that we haven't seen before, not even in The Trench. Geoff Johns keeps adding to plotlines already established before and the execution and delivery is flawless. The volume begins with a short issue where we see Arthur's dealing with his father's death and, like we've seen in past volumes, him leaving while being harassed by journalists because of his origin. Then, we see his first encounter with an Atlantean and his first look at Atlantis itself. The Art once again is beautiful. Then, the story picks up again as Arthur's try to find out the identity of the owner of The Dead King's Scepter. Things get complicated when, with no apparent reason, some missiles from a naval ship targets Atlantis. It is clear now that someone wants war between Earth and Atlantis and after decades of hate and fear, of being murdered and poisoned by the surface, the Atlanteans are ready to lead the charge and retaliate. They are led by their King and Arthur's brother, Orm, and while these attacks are destroying cities, the Justice League assembles and they're ready to defend earth. Arthur is forced to make hard choices, ones that will change his life forever as he struggles between keeping both Earth and Atlantis safe.

The introduction of Orm is really well done. He was a surprise for me, I thought the relationship between brothers would be more of a cliché one, believing hatred and jealousy between them. In reality we get to know and understand Orm, how he was raised and taught to hate the surface, but also to fear them, and what the revelation of having a brother ''trapped'' there causes him to feel. Johns give us great and compelling reasons for Orm's acts and decisions, he isn't a villain, but the king and warrior of his people.

We have great moments between JLA members and Aquaman and, surprisingly, great solo moments that makes me even more curious to pick up Justice League and read and meet a few members that had never before pick my interest I'm talking to you Cyborg. I found the relationship between Batman and Aquaman so intriguing, there's conflict there, but also a respect and trust that Arthur's doesn't have with anyone else in the League. My main problem here was Wonder Woman, as someone who has read a lot of her own new 52 title, it felt out of character. I mean, I couldn't relate this Diana with the one from Azzarello's run. Also, I just don't buy Diana's and Clark's relationship. There are a few other characters who make an appearance in the battle (and what a great moment it was when Cyborg makes the call).

My other complaint, the lack of Mera. You kidding me Geoff? She's having less and less appearances and I just need her more. (She was, once again, a total badass here).

Sadly the Art wasn't as great as previous volumes, that's because Reis and Prado are absent for half the volume and it's really noticeable. The other artists aren't bad, it's just that Reis and Prado have made such a magnificent work before, that's difficult to make the change to other artists.

Lastly, the final page was a bit disappointing, because the last issue is from Justice League, a title I'm not reading, it felt underwhelming.

At the end, I enjoyed this volume immensely but they were some things that didn't sit well. Still, I love how great Johns is weaving the overall story, how every volume feels different but it's because the story is developing so well. Johns's storytelling is flawless. The first volume was the introduction of our hero and his ''origin'' story, the second one gave us his past and his struggles, his former team and his seek of revenge, and now we got Arthur's two worlds colliding and him having to take life changing decisions to protect both Atlantis and Earth. I love this title and I'm excited to pick up the next volume....more

Wow that was a very fast read! Great tale that could have used a bit less action and more character development.

This was coming, after the first two arcs and the establishment of Aquaman in the New52 and the Justice League you knew an Atlantis/Surface World story was coming and man did it delivery...mostly:

World: Johns has slowly been building the world towards this with the tension between Atlantis and the Surface World and mostly the world building has been good. The motivation is sound and itWow that was a very fast read! Great tale that could have used a bit less action and more character development.

This was coming, after the first two arcs and the establishment of Aquaman in the New52 and the Justice League you knew an Atlantis/Surface World story was coming and man did it delivery...mostly:

World: Johns has slowly been building the world towards this with the tension between Atlantis and the Surface World and mostly the world building has been good. The motivation is sound and it made for some really amazing art. Reis' art once again serves well here as the gigantic battle scenes look amazing and the designs of the Atlantians are wonderful. The only problem with the world building which spills into all aspects of the book is that more time should have been spent on it before this full scale event broke out, I think if this was arc 4 it would have been better.

Story: Overall, the story is fun and the consequences of this arc matter and are felt throughout the Aquaman and Justice League books. The story is fast paced and exciting and wow it was a very fast read. This would be a fun film, however there are some issues here that make a amazing story only very good. The main issue as I've hinted above has to do with character and motivations and pacing. The pacing is way to fast and therefore the bigger and more substantial political and character angles have been overshadowed by huge action pieces. The large cast of characters (being a Justice League tie in) made for a less intimate story. I think at the heart of this story it should have been a story of clashing cultures but because of the lure of gigantic action scenes characters act impulsive, illogical and stupid (which I'll get to below). 1 or 2 more issues to build tension and also more dialog to express the different sides of the matter would have allowed the story to breath and be much better.

Characters: We've known that Arthur is torn and so far there have been little snippets of this throughout arc 1 and 2. However this does come to full fruition in arc 3 and although it's a good read, it's doesn't have the fully realized impact that it should have had. It would have been greater to learn about what happened to Arthur when he was in Atlantis 6 years ago instead of just referring it, it would have been better to build the relationship between Arthur and Orm before they came to ahead. If the relationship was established better the tragedy of brothers at odds would have played out much more emotionally resonating. Here we just get two opposing sides with unclear motivations in terms of their different culture and upbringing. Another issues is the Justice League tie in, I know this is a JL level event and the rest of the league show up as a result, but the characterizations of league members in event books often annoy me. Having recently read both Batman and Wonder Woman titles and their amazing characterizations, we get paper thin motivations and impulsive illogical decisions by these complex characters. Batman and the rest just act out of character and it's a shame. They are merely here for muscle and spectacle which is a shame, they are not acting like themselves.

I've spent a lot of time looking at the faults in this arc but that's just the type of person I am. I focus on the things that annoy me. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this arc, I did, quite a bit. I am still very much enjoying this series as it makes one of the more interesting and complex characters in the league fun. Johns writing is what it is, the world building in broad strokes is fun, the action is big and bombastic, but sometimes the characterizations and motivations take a backseat.

It has all been leading to this. Aquaman was initially portrayed as a superhero the surface world not only unappreciated, but also did not take seriously. In this volume, Aquaman takes a firmer stand within the surface world and the Justice League. The fabled Atlantis no longer seems like a bedtime story when Aquaman’s brother, Orm, the King of Atlantis, retaliates against the surface world with the full fury of the Atlantean army. There is tension throughout, as we are unaware whether Orm causeIt has all been leading to this. Aquaman was initially portrayed as a superhero the surface world not only unappreciated, but also did not take seriously. In this volume, Aquaman takes a firmer stand within the surface world and the Justice League. The fabled Atlantis no longer seems like a bedtime story when Aquaman’s brother, Orm, the King of Atlantis, retaliates against the surface world with the full fury of the Atlantean army. There is tension throughout, as we are unaware whether Orm caused the missiles to strike Atlantis, in order to wage war, or whether a third-party was involved. Aquaman is torn between the underwater world and the surface world. In the end, Aquaman overthrows Orm and takes his place as the rightful ruler of Atlantis.

As a character, I love Aquaman. Mera is pretty awesome, too, playing a significant role in the series as a whole. Aquaman shows genuine emotion, and Mera is always there as his anchor. I like the bad guys: Manta, and the man-eating monsters from the Trench. I’m kind of on the fence about Orm being a bad guy, since the retaliation against the surface world is somewhat justified, if one considers how badly the oceans are treated, through pollution (or ‘poisoning’ as Orm puts it), coupled with the fact that he thought the surface dwellers attacked Atlantis first. I appreciated the twist at the end, and really did not suspect Vulko of foul play! The Justice League’s involvement was an added bonus (I may consider reading Justice League, Vol. 3: Throne of Atlantis).

Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis was faintly reminiscent of Waid’s JLA, Vol. 7: Tower of Babel, in that Aquaman created a contingency hit list to take out serious threats, like Batman.

This has to be one of my favourite reads this year. Geoff Johns is ranking up there amongst my favourite comic book writers....more

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics careerGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank....more